It was nearly six by the time Ian Henderson rounded the driveway into the estate. The sun was already peeking behind the line of tall trees of the property, warming his skin through the small openings as he jogged down the path to the main house.

Autumn was starting to show as well, he noted, when the fallen leaves crunched under his running shoes.

Since it was still a long way ‘til he reached the front door, he mentally arranged his morning schedule. First, he would need to freshen up with a quick shower before he got dressed and reviewed his notes that he left in the dining room. Mulling over the reports made by the student council staff shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes or so, since they were all brief anyway. Then he could grab breakfast before heading out.

Today was the first day of the fall semester, and his official first day as a senior. Four years of high school all lead up to this year, when his class would make their mark on the school. They had nine months to do all that they need to do, to prepare for that memorable day when they would all march down the academy halls for the very last time in a toga and walk across the stage to accept their diplomas. College would be the next step for them, and later, the real world.

But if Ian knew the seniors of Nesworth International Academy, he knew that diplomas and college were on the back list of their minds for today. The new school year is going to kick off with a welcoming bash for all classes tonight at six, and no one would be missing it for the world.

This year would be the best, was the unanimous vote of the student body when he took the oath of office as the 50th student body president of NIA. Frankly, Ian didn’t intend to disappoint any of them as he plans to uphold the long standing reputation of the honorable school and set a standard for the future holders of this title. It is a lot of pressure for a single set of shoulders to lug, but Ian believed with confidence, that his cabinet would work just as hard as he would.

The most trusted out of all of them was standing behind the stove when he stepped into the kitchen. The scent of chocolate chip pancakes and maple syrup wafting through the foyer snagged him by the belly before he could even register climbing up the stairs for his shower. Even as he grinned at his sister, he was mentally rearranging his morning schedule.

“Good morning! You’re up early,” he took a seat behind the counter and eyed the pile of fresh, warm pan cakes stacked together at a tantalizing distance. “Those happen to have my name on it?”

“Good morning!” Lynn’s smile was as bright as the morning sunshine. He noted the slightly damp hair that cascaded down her back, and the familiar NIA uniform that peeked behind a frilly carnation apron. And the radiance that she exuded while making breakfast hinted that she’d been up at least two hours.

“I’m afraid I didn’t have time to specially decorate them with your name in colorful icing, but we could compromise.” Amusement shone in those same green eyes that reflected his own. “Tell you what, if you pour all the glasses on the table with some juice, I’ll concede by giving you an entire plate.”

“The defense would like to know the size of the plate and how many batches are in it.” Ian tried to peer over Lynn’s shoulder.

Lynn’s smile matched Ian’s grin. “Sufficient enough and that decision is approved by the jury,” she gestured toward the kitchen utensils on the counter. “Will the defense capitulate?”

“That depends. Would you like to add least five pounds of cake on that plate, ma’am?”

“Would you like to like to cook the rest of the batter on this five pound bowl?” She nudged a heavy Pyrex bowl that probably weighed a good ten pounds on its own, and beamed in innocence. “Or would you rather just savor the delicious breakfast I made with your selection of syrup?”

“Well, since you drive such a hard bargain,” he joked as he rounded the counter where three glass pitchers were filled with three different juices. They all preferred different juices; his father favored the orange, his sister the apple, and while he drank the first two from time to time, his all-time favorite was mango. He took the first two pitchers first, then the last one before giving his sister a hand with the pan cakes.

“All set. I think dad might still be sleeping, so I’m gonna go and wake him up. You can start if you’d like. I know you’re dying to have at those,” she winked at him as she reached behind her back to untie the apron.

“Tempting, but I’ll wait for you guys. Besides, I still have some notes to go over,” he said as he started for the dining.

At that, Lynn swiveled around. “Oh, that reminds me. There was a little something that I noted when I read over the plans for the bash last night. I stuck on some post-its on it so you’ll see the pages right away. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Sounds good.” When she disappeared into the foyer, Ian retrieved his notes on top of the dining table. They were stacked in a neat pile that he knew was his sister’s doing. He took for first folder, instantly found the pink and purple post-it arrows.

He smiled as he read over the noted section. Trust Lynn to be efficient and thorough, he mused, as his eyes scanned the rest of the noted pages. But he was lucky to have her as vice president because his title and hers walk hand in hand, and the two of them worked in perfect synch. So perfect that sometimes a word need not be exchanged between the two of them to get something done. He would automatically know what she would prefer before she even mentioned it, and vice versa, or sometimes a simple exchange of looks was all it took.

So in this case, it was perfect to have twins for the president and vice president, because they’ve known each other since utero years.

With the handy pen tucked inside one of the folders, he made the needed corrections and wrote down the instructions to the problems on the side of the margin. He was working on the second to the last page when Lynn called him back inside the kitchen.

Mrs. Porter, one of the longest serving caretakers of the household, was fussing when he took his seat on the breakfast table.

“Mistress Lynn, you should have told me you wanted an early breakfast,” she was having one of her frantic fits that he along with the rest of the household had gotten used to. “You shouldn’t have gone with all the trouble of cooking breakfast when I could have done that…”

Lynn, now with her hair in a shiny, tidy ponytail, and fully uniformed, beamed at the elder lady and gave her a thumbs up. “Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Porter. I wanted to do it anyway. I woke up so early and couldn’t fall back to sleep because I was too excited, so I thought, why not?” When the old lady continued to fuss, Ian watched in amusement as Lynn made various gesticulations to emphasize her point.

He continued to attack his plate when he noticed that two, not one, of the plates were untouched. “Where’s dad?”

Finally reaching some kind of compromise with Mrs. Porter, Lynn took the seat across from him. “He wanted to sleep in for another hour since he got back from his meeting late last night. Trust me, he barely moved a muscle when I threatened to jump on bed to wake him. He’s really tired, but he said that if we needed anything just to let him know and he apologizes for not being able to see us off on our first day.”

“Sounds like him, all right. We’ll see him tonight for dinner anyway.”

“Hmm. It’s nice. You know, to be able to return home from school everyday instead of dorming in.”

There was something in her tone that had Ian looking up and studying her face. “While it would be convenient to dorm-in, it’s better to just travel back and forth since the campus is nearby.” He took a moment. “What’s on your mind?”

She shook her head. “Nothing much. It’s just that we’ve never really had a need to dorm in campus during the past three years, not even last year, but this year would be different. A lot more demanding: late night projects and research, and not to mention student council work. I remember Eric and Samantha last year. They stayed up late in the council office working out details and such.”

Ian absorbed her meaning while downing pan cake with mango juice. “Are you considering taking up a dorm this year?”

“Well I hope there won’t be a need for it. I really like the commute from the estate to the academy and back, and while it’s always healthy to try new things, I’d like to keep the luxury of sleeping on my own bed in my own house.”

He couldn’t agree more. There haven’t been any complaints regarding dorm arrangements at the academy, but he could sense some of the students’ longing to go home when non-dorming students hopped inside their cars at the end of the day. Some can manage the weekend at home, but for the rest, home was abroad so commuting by plane was inconvenient and inefficient.

They were one of the lucky ones who lived nearby. The Henderson estate was a thirty-minute drive to the academy, and fifteen if by freeway. Ian didn’t worry about the work or any possible late night meetings. Eric and Samantha, last year’s President and V.P. were successful, but if they had managed a bit differently, those nights spent making last minute reviews could have been spent dozing off in relaxing sleep.

Ian had already thought about the demands of the year ahead. But since his sister worried about it…

“I don’t think it would come to the point that we’d have to bunk in the academy. I won’t deny it, it’s a lot of work, but it’s work that can be handled within school hours. Eric briefed me in with the job a month before school ended last year and I’ve been playing around the schedule since. It’s doable,” he assured her.

She nodded a beat later. “If you put it that way, then it’s a lot more settling.” She glanced down at her watch. “Quarter to seven. You should start getting ready for school, Ian. I’ll clean up here.”

He heard another round between Lynn and Mrs. Porter as he made his way up on the main staircase, shaking his head in amusement as he went. It took twenty minutes to shower, get dressed, and get his things together before meeting Lynn at the driveway. After a minute of deciding driving arrangements, they decided to take his car.

“I almost forgot. I might be a little late for tonight’s gig so I’ll just meet you guys there. I took an extra class after school,” he explained as he opened the trunk of his black sports car and dropped their bags on the leather surface.

She tilted her head at him in wonder. “You took an extra class? You don’t mean the class that the university is offering, do you?”

“I figured advanced psychology would scratch my itch for an intellectual challenge.” He shot her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I didn’t mention it earlier, but it took me a while to convince myself it was worth it.”

Lynn shrugged. “It’s no big deal. Just make sure you stay on top of things. I didn’t think you’d have room for an extra class. Are you sure you don’t need to bunk in the academy?” she asked him as she allowed the passenger door to fully open.

His reply was his quick and charming grin. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

The drive took twenty minutes instead of the usual fifteen because of a freeway accident earlier that morning. Two cars rammed against each other and occupied three lanes of debris. If they’d left the estate much later, they would have experienced heavy traffic with fellow commuters, and there wouldn’t be any time for an early morning council meeting.

Student volunteers, mostly juniors and sophomores, were already buzzing back and forth from the council office to the recreation area where tonight’s bash will be held when he and Lynn stepped inside the main building. He noted what they carried as they stopped by him for a quick greeting or to ask him a question: welcome posters, decorations for the rec room, accessories, flyers to put up, and office materials. Looks like they everyone got his memo last night.

Katie Welsh, Student Body Treasurer and a close friend of Lynn, came up to them for a quick hug. “Welcome back, you guys! I was beginning to wonder if the two of you got stuck in traffic. Anyway, everyone’s working in their assigned areas, as you instructed,” she nodded to Ian, “and the officers are all present, so we can hold the meeting any time you guys are ready. Oh, and Stephan and Royce stopped by to help out.”

Understanding that the two girls needed time to chatter and share summer vacation stories, he parted with them and strode in the council room. Greetings were thrown across the room as he nodded at everyone in acknowledgement.

“There you are. For a while there, I was afraid that we’d have to impeach you for tardiness on you first official day at the job. That would have been the ultimate school-opening scandal.”

Rafie Drenton, Student Body Secretary and his best friend was leaned against Ian’s executive desk with a grin. He extended his arm for a knuckle bump. “Better put that anti-official report or I’ll have to fire you.” He took a seat on his leather swivel chair and propped his legs on the desk. “So how’s it going man?”

Rafie cocked an eyebrow at his pose. “Well, don’t you look relaxed?”

Ian’s smile was smug. “I had my morning routine down. Morning jog, fresh air, friendly neighbors, and a stack of chocolate chip pan cakes with fresh mango juice to down it.”

“Damn. I should have gone over.”

“I wouldn’t have shared with you. It’s show time.” Ian’s mirth died down when he spotted Mr. Grenford approaching. He stood up, extended his arm. “Good morning, sir. All set for the new year.”

The headmaster shook his hand with firm confidence. There was strength in there that was intended to be both admired and respected. “I can see that you guys are. You’ve got your team moving along and under control on the very first day. I want to commemorate the student council for that.”

Although Ian couldn’t match his height, a rather massive frame of 6’5, he could parallel his approach. “Appreciate it, sir. Thank you.” He greeted Rafie as well, and then inquired the whereabouts of the rest of the officers.

“Everyone’s present, but scattered. Most of us are in the room, but…here they are now,” the three of them turned towards the door when Lynn and Katie strolled in. At Ian’s signal, the other six officers plus the headmaster gathered in the council conference room adjacent to his desk.

“Now that everyone’s here, let’s get started. The vice president and I were going over the reports last night and found some chinks that need attention…”

Rayne Turner stood in the middle of the dorm room munching on a celery stick as she examined her area, impressed with the outcome.

An hour and a half of productivity had accomplished a great deal. Her bed was fully dressed with pastel sheets and a flowered comforter. The pillows, shams and throws were arranged neatly on top of the bed, next to her school uniform and backpack. The night table, and the student desk and chair, courtesy of the school, were personalized with her trinkets, picture frames, supplies, and books. She’d also successfully unpacked so her clothes were tucked away in the drawers and closet which were also provided by the academy. Her feet were cushioned by the oval area rug she’d bought from Bed, Bath, and Beyond when she shopped for the supplies she needed to move in to her new school. There were two windows in the room, one on each side for the two tenants and Rayne decided on a light pastel shade for her curtains. Looking at her work now, she was very much impressed with herself for getting everything done before school started.

She glanced at the clock. There was about an hour before it was time to head down to the auditorium for the welcoming assembly, and since her dorm mate hadn’t arrived yet…

Nesworth International Academy uniform, size small, was an expensive set: a crisp white long-sleeved button-up polo with the academy crest on the breast pocket, a maroon suit that fit her figure snuggly and another crest on the left flap but not pocket, a black and maroon striped neck tie, and complementing black mid-thigh skirt. To Rayne the ensemble said sophisticated, educated, and wealthy, but still very fashionable and the only uniform in the world she wouldn’t be embarrassed to wear in public. Without further ado, she stripped off her shorts and tank, freshened up in the bathroom, and got dressed.

It wasn’t officially fall yet, but the season was slowly making its way to the campus. A picturesque view of colorful leaves and wild flowers scattered around the campus greeted her as she stepped out of the Women’s RQ building. The wind was cooler now, the temperature lower, and she guessed that soon everyone would start wearing scarves and coats.

Not that she couldn’t wear them now, Rayne thought as she pulled the uniform suit tighter.

Students were barely arriving on campus. For a second, Rayne’s eyes widened at the branded and crested cars, but reminded her self just who exactly attended NIA. Rich, ubber rich, and even richer, that’s who, danced through her mind as she watched each car pull up the main gate and drop off their respective passengers in designer coats and shiny boots.

It was stupid to feel self-conscious since underneath the wool, they all wore the same uniform, but Rayne felt the sudden urge to pull her jacket closer and crouch behind a brick corner wall like a little kid spying on mom and dad wrapping her birthday present. And because it was too silly, she walked back the other way to resume her tour.

The football field was a five minute walk from the main gate, and during her little journey, she discovered that the dimensions of the massive main building was too much to count. She surmised that it would take a fit person to walk from the main entrance to the exit at least ten minutes, if they weren’t in a hurry. That estimate alone could have taken her aback, but the design of the buildings pulled her further in. All the buildings were tall, ranging from three stories to six, lengths fitting old-styled shiny brick buildings and wooden carvings and tall pillars. It was like walking into a little Roman empire without the statues and white. And she only covered a small portion of the campus, she reminded herself as excitement and fright stirred in her belly. What more of the rest?

Perhaps she should have requested the help of someone who’s familiar with the campus to tour the campus. For a newbie like her to wander on her own? She must be nuts.

She dug out her cell phone and her gaze softened at the wallpaper picture of her mother and two brothers. She rang her mom once the use of cell phones became available after her plane touched down. She’d promised to call again once reached the academy, but hadn’t done so yet. Spotting a nearby wood bench, she made a beeline for it and was on the process of dialing her house number when a voice called out behind her.

“I should warn you, the use of cell phones on school grounds during hours is highly prohibited.”

For a moment she was frozen in place, thinking that the caution had come from an administrator, while mentally patting her back for not flinching at the admonishing tone. Rayne turned, slipping her phone inside her coat pocket before facing the unexpected party.

To her surprise and undeniable relief, she didn’t find a crisply uniformed proprietor with a tight bun wound behind her head, thick glasses that accentuated reprimanding eyes and winged eyes brows, hands on her hips and tapping shiny heels against the pavement. The other person was a student dressed in the same NIA uniform, blonde wavy hair flowing freely at the sides, and without spectacles. And while she wasn’t smiling as she approached Rayne, she wasn’t glaring either.

“Well?” The blonde’s tone was smooth, silky, and an octave higher than most she’s met. It didn’t sound annoying though, but it had mild, fluid force that pronounced authority.

Rayne rediscovered her intelligence. “I recall reading that rule on the new student package I received in the mail a few weeks ago.” Now she smiled. “But I don’t believe that the bell has rung, therefore school hours haven’t officially started.”

“And so you aren’t breaking the rules,” the blonde added, smiling as she extended a hand. “I’m relieved to see that at least one newbie is well versed with the school rules. Katie Welsh, nice to meet you.”

Rayne shook the extended hand with equal firmness as relief poured through her. “Rayne Turner, and the pleasure is mine. Although you might be giving me too much credit. That little pamphlet was a lot to take in. I was lucky to find something reasonable to say.”

Katie’s light chuckle had her relaxing. “Quick thinking then. I came across two freshmen canoodling in a corner, and one with the cell phone. They all but exposed their wrists at me and begged me to take them to the police in fear of social banishment.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. You see, the student council is in charge when it comes to student affairs, and discipline is definitely one of them. It takes a lot of effort to uphold the standards of the academy, but we manage.” Katie bobbed her head and noticed that no one was with Rayne. “Were you out here alone?”

“I missed the orientation, so I figured a quick tour of the place before the assembly started wouldn’t hurt. Until I realized that this little adventure could turn into a disaster if I wander off too far and can’t find my way back.” Rayne admitted.

Katie nodded in understanding then looped her arm through Rayne’s and began ushering her forward. “I’ll take that as a silent plea for help. Luckily I have time before the assembly begins, in which we will put into good use by giving you a private tour around campus. And while we do that, we can exchange pleasantries and information.”

Rayne laughed. Usually she didn’t like the idea of being ushered – literally or figuratively – into anything, but this girl amused her. “You’re on.”

They spent the next few minutes walking down corridors, secret passageways – one was an abridged route from the WRQ to the science building that Katie took whenever she was running late for AP Physics – and familiarizing Rayne with the different buildings and offices. They had also gone inside the football stadium – an actual stadium, not the field that she initially assumed it had been – and caught a couple making out by the bleachers. Rayne witnessed first hand how Katie dealt with misbehaving students with her flailing arms and intimidating posture, holding back the laughter until after the couple had retreated.

Habit had her observing the other girl’s actions without a second thought since meeting her. She’d guessed that Katie Welsh was the same age as her, if not the same grade. Definitely upper class, by the way she presented herself and her delivery. She was also very expressive and has a tendency to use her hands a lot while speaking. Normally it would be too early on a meeting to decide whether or not you like a person, but Rayne decided she rather liked Katie as a friend.

“He was lying to you,” Rayne said once she and Katie had gone back to their tour.

“About the part that he was only checking to see if his girlfriend’s tonsils were working fine after being sick for a week?”

“That, and his claiming that he’s a new student, dorm-in and settled in his new home, and that he knew about the assembly. He is definitely a returnee, though his girlfriend might not be, he hasn’t stepped one foot inside his dorm, and they were not about to head to the assembly. They were planning on stalling for time, wait the coast is clear, then sneak into some empty room and have sex.”

“How so?”

“It’s fairly easy to deceive your audience by keeping a straight face while telling a fib, but I was watching him closely enough to notice the flinch and the darting gaze. He blinked too many times and his feeble attempts at hand gestures exposed his sweaty palms. And they were definitely not from the tonsillectomy action he was getting. It’s too cold out.”

Katie nodded approvingly. “I’m impressed with your deduction. You remind me of a friend of mine. He’s got a sharp-mind too and can read liars before he even sees the look on their faces. You ought to meet him. I can definitely say you’re well versed with body language. Did you take classes or are you a natural?”

Rayne hesitated for a bit. For two people who’d just met, they’d shared more information than the causal introductions. But she’d felt at ease with Katie since meeting her. “I had a knack for observing reactions, I guess. Then I decided to take classes because it was so interesting.”

“Ah, are you taking the advanced psychology class offered here?”

Her pulse skipped. “There’s an advanced psychology class here?”

“Sure. The local university is offering some courses here after school for college credit. One of my friends happened to mention it this morning.”

They were nearing the auditorium and could already hear the ruckus made by excited and frightened freshmen waiting outside the doors. “Is he or she taking this class?”

“No, she isn’t taking it, but her brother is. He’s the sharp-minded one with a built-in lie detector I mentioned earlier. I guess it’s small wonder why both of you are interested in the class. Well here we are.” By now the auditorium doors had opened and everyone was either already seated inside or making their way in. “I’d love to sit with you in the audience, but duty calls.”

“Wait,” Rayne called Katie back before she disappeared into the doors. “Do you know if there’s any way I can still get into the class even though it starts today?”

Katie seemed to weigh options in her head, then shook her head. “I don’t have enough power to try and persuade the counselors, but…” she glanced behind her, considered, then beamed. “I’ll see if the president can get you in.”

“I owe you one, Katie.” This time Rayne extended her hand and delighted when Katie shook it.

“Let me get this straight. You meet a random girl while patrolling around the campus, decided within minutes of meeting her that she would be one of your girlfriends, and offered to help her get into one of the most impossible and highly demanded classes on campus this late a time.”

“That’s right,” Katie chirped happily.

Ian watched her carefully while sitting behind his desk, with a look of mild contemplation and amusement. After the assembly, Katie grabbed his arm and ushered her into the student council and pleaded him to hear out her request. Of course, it wasn’t far off for Katie to come up with the impulsive and difficult of tasks, but she was never really that urgent about her ideas. She sounded serious enough when she told him about her new friend that for a moment he considered.

“What’s so special about this 'new friend' of yours that has you doing favors for her?”

Katie perched a hip on the side of his desk and crossed her arms over her chest, a look of pure defiance on her face. “If you must know, she is from the intelligent breed of humans with sharp senses and a knack for observing human behavior. She didn’t know about the class because she’s a newbie senior, but nonetheless very interested in taking the course.” When Ian continued to sit in silence, Katie’s buoyancy collapsed. “Ian, I really believe she’s deserving of the class. And I know there’s no way that advanced psychology could be that full. If anything, some of the students who signed up for it only did so because they found out you were going to be taking it.”

Ian didn’t doubt her. By the time he received his acceptance confirmation, he found out that the class had already reached its maximum capacity of forty. Because the class roster had to go through the student council for checking and approval, Ian saw the names of his classmates, and a fraction of them had his eyebrows arching in disbelief. But still, the feat she’s asking for is a bit drastic.

He didn’t much care, but was more intrigued at Katie’s persistence. “You really believe that this girl is made for it?”

Lynn decided to come in at that moment. “Yes! She’s got sharp eyes, Ian. And can sniff out liars just like you can. And mind you, we need a weapon on our side to balance out the gender difference here. It’s not fair that the male species has a weapon of mass destruction like you.”

“What’s going on?” Lynn asked while munching on a bagel.

Katie wrapped her arms around Lynn in a dramatic display of helplessness and tattled. “Your evil brother is inscrutable and unyielding!”

Ian expelled a breath. “Playing the twin sister card, are we?”

Katie stuck out her tongue like a child. A certain type of, albeit amusing, behavior that she exhibits when around Lynn. “It’s the only sure way to your undoing.”

He laughed then, and shifted his amused green eyes to his sister’s questioning ones. “Our friend here thinks she has met the figure of ultimate success for the female species and demands that I find a way to insert her name in the impossibly impacted psychology roster.”

“I don’t ‘think’, I know. And with her steadfast body language analyzing eyes, Rayne Turner can help us detect abominable members of your species. Even Lynn would benefit.”

“Lynn has me.”

His matter-of-factly answer earned a snort. “Please. I doubt Lynn could freely discuss the topic of boys with you, unless you’re desecrating them or engraving their name in your blacklist.”

Lynn, who’d been darting looks between her brother and her friend since entering, gingerly cleared her throat. “Lynn is present in the room, in case you guys are wondering.”

Both Ian and Katie turned to Lynn and apologized for speaking out for her. “I’m not exactly aware of the situation, and I am sorry to interrupt, but Katie is needed in the auditorium and I need to discuss something family related with Ian.” When Katie hesitated, Lynn bumped her shoulder playfully. “I’m not mad, Katie. Now, go.”

When Katie left, Ian turned to his sister. “Is there something wrong?”

She looked confused for a second, then waved her hands to ease his worry. “No, nothing’s wrong. Dad called earlier and wanted me to tell you that he’s been called away on a business conference for three weeks, so he cancelled our dinner plans for tonight.” Ian’s desk had been equipped with all sorts of office supplies and gadgets, and Lynn began toying with the pens. “I haven’t met this amazing person Katie was talking about but she seems more determined and enthusiastic than she usually is.”

Ian was thoughtful for a moment. What they were saying made sense, but convincing the counselors that they should expand a class for one more student on the first day of the school year when they are undoubtedly buried in a lot of paperwork and perhaps even class transfers and schedule changes…

“You’ve got amazing influence on them, Ian. I don’t think that’d be a problem,” Lynn supplies, reading his mind.

It was a twin thing, Ian thought as he relaxed again in his seat, propping his legs on the desk since it was only the two of them in the room.

“So you’re for this girl getting in the class too?”

Lynn shrugged slightly. “Like I said, I haven’t met her so I can’t fully vouch for her, but I’ve long ago decided that Katie is a good judge of character. If she somehow believes that this Rayne Turner is a match for your wit and mind, then I’m intrigued. Sounds like an ‘intellectual challenge’ to me." She picked up the purple pen and pointed it at him, chuckling. "Besides, you know Katie won't stop bugging you until you say yes.”

Without another word, Ian lifted the office phone off its cradle and dialed the extension for the counseling office.

Author's Note: This is the absolute last time I am editing/revising/rewriting/insert-your-version-of-it-here "Flavor of the Week". So chapter one is up, but don't expect the second any time soon. I decided to post this up just to show that I have not completely ignored my story. The posts will resume when I have half the story done...maybe in March or April. There's just too much going on this month.